Parents use billboard to reach children inside Church of Scientology

Workers install a billboard in Los Angeles earlier this month that is dotted with dozens of faces representing Scientologists who have separated from their families. It reads: "To my loved one in Scientology . . . call me." The message is the work of Phil and Willie Jones, former members of the Church of Scientology who say they have lost their two adult children to a church practice known as "disconnection." [Photo courtesy of Phil Jones]

Phil Jones told NBC's Today that his son has told him he never wants to speak to him again.

"That's what they do," Jones said, sobbing. "It's a cruel and vindictive organization to do something like that."

The Joneses, from Las Vegas, were in the church for 40 years and have now begun a campaign called Stop Scientology Disconnection to raise awareness about the religious practice that they say separated them from their children.

The purpose, according to their website, is to "make people more aware of Scientology Disconnection, as well as hopefully entice those in Scientology to take that step of calling their loved ones, family, friends, or whoever they have disconnected from due to pressure from the Church of Scientology."

The couple launched a GoFundMe page to help raise the more than $8,000 needed to pay for printing and installation costs. By Monday morning, they had raised about $16,500 and secured the billboard for a second month.

They hope to have it up through August.

The Church of Scientology was founded by former science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, and the religion has attracted celebrity members such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

The Joneses told the Hollywood Reporter that they began to have questions about the religion about five years ago and that Phil Jones's sister, who is also a Scientologist, went straight to church leaders to tell them that her brother and sister-in-law were having doubts.

The couple said they were excommunicated and have not heard from their children the past few years.

Phil Jones told the Hollywood Reporter that he got involved in the church when he was a teenager.

"Once you're in it, there is a process that has a creep factor, there's a degree of hypnotism, of mental conditioning," he said. "Once you get in too deep, it's tough to break out. My wife and I met in Scientology when she was 17 and I was 18. We've been together ever since.

"We raised our children in it."

The problem, Jones told the Hollywood Reporter, is trying to get someone out of the church.

"Every single person will say, 'No, I want to be here. I'm here of my own choice.' Because there is a brainwashing to it, a hypnosis," he said. "If I'd try to take my kids out, they will not want to go."

Jones said their children joined the Church of Scientology's Sea Organization, which is described as "a religious order for the Scientology religion and is composed of the singularly most dedicated Scientologists."

"That's where you sign a billion-year contract," Jones said. "You work there, eat the food there, you work 100 hours a week for 10 cents an hour. It's just brutal."

"In 20 years, our kids were never allowed to leave for Christmas or visit us," he added. "We could visit them and maybe get an hour with them. What usually happens is, something triggers them to want to leave. Sometimes something changes in their life, or they get beat up badly. The other thing is, the majority who get out say, 'I read something on the Internet' or 'I saw something on the news.'

"That's why we're doing the billboard."

The Church of Scientology dismissed the billboard in a statement to the Washington Post.

"The billboard in Echo Park is simply the latest in a series of publicity stunts by Phil and Willie Jones to stalk and harass their adult offspring, Mike and Emily Jones, who are in their 30s and 40s," the statement said. "For the past several weeks Phil and Willie Jones have been working with a reality TV producer staging stunts intended to harass their adult children, despite their children telling them directly to back off and stop.

"Clearly, there is no fact checking with billboards. It is shameful that two people desperate for publicity would hook up with a reality TV producer to shamelessly exploit and harass their two adult children for money. It is equally despicable that these individuals would use a private family matter to promote anti-religious hate and bigotry and harm their kids."

Jones confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that the couple is "documenting our journey."

Willie Jones told the Today show that the church has torn their family apart.

"Scientology is not allowing me to be a mom," she said. "They're not allowing Phil to be a dad."

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